


One of These Days

by Baroness_Blixen



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Some Fluff, Some angst, it's flangst, mulder and scully have a stupid fight, parenthood is exhausting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 01:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16863391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baroness_Blixen/pseuds/Baroness_Blixen
Summary: Mulder and Scully have their first fight after the birth of their baby daughter.





	One of These Days

Neither of them has been sleeping well. Mostly they haven’t been sleeping, period. Mulder gets up every time Scully feeds their daughter. Asks what he can do to help. Nothing, she wants to say and bites her lip every time. She falls back asleep more than once and finds Katie back in her crib with a new diaper on the next morning. She should be thankful. She is.

But.

Mulder hovers. He watches her every step, looks over her shoulder no matter what she does. It’s too much. She’s too tired and he is too much. She loves him, loves how involved he is, how much he adores their daughter.

But.

Tuesday morning, the sun bleeds through the half closed blinds in the kitchen. Katie babbles while Mulder shuffles about. They’re late. The baby has been fussy last night, all of them awake at unholy hours. Mulder’s hair is messy, his clothes look worn; she doubts either of them has done the laundry. He kisses her quickly in passing smelling of the coffee she can’t have but craves.

“You want me to dress Katie?” Half a toast sticks from his mouth. A piece falls to the ground and he doesn’t seem to notice. She stares at it briefly, knows she should pick it up. Her back protests in pain before she even moves. It remains on the floor, forgotten.

“I can do it.”

“I didn’t ask if you can do it. I asked you if you want me to do it.” Scully squeezes her eyes shut. She’s too tired for speaking Mulder. She’s too tired for all of it.

“Scully?”

“Can you just…”

“You want me to do it?”

“I want you to shut up!” The kitchen falls silent. Even Katie quiets down. “I said I can do it,” she repeats and tries to keep her voice even and calm. Katie tips over her cup and makes a surprised ‘oh’. Her lips quivers.

“Fine,” Mulder says, his voice laced with dark anger. He picks up the cup and dries the floor with paper tissues. “You don’t need me, do you?” It’s a rhetorical question.

“You want to do all of it alone, don’t you?” Scully can’t answer. She’s so tired. Too exhausted. Why can’t he understand that? He walks over to her, leans close to her as if to kiss her.

“You want it to be like the first time, hm? With me gone? I’m better when I’m not here.”

“Fuck you, Mulder,” she whispers, spits the words at him. They hit him like a slap. They stare at each other, neither of them backing down. She doesn’t remember how this began or when. There is no why.

“I’m going to do what I do best,” Mulder says after what feels like eons. He walks past her and right out of the door. Scully waits for him to return, but he doesn’t. She hears their car start and drive off.

She’s alone.

Less than two hours pass. Scully feeds Katie, does laundry and attempts to have breakfast. Everything tastes stale.

“Hey.” Mulder stands in their living room as if he didn’t belong. Katie gurgles and smiles, reaching for her daddy. He takes her and holds her tight. Scully has known him for half her life; he is her life. Seeing him like this, holding their child as though he fears he’s lost her, reminds her of who they are, of what they’ve been through. This is so silly, so terribly silly.

“I’m an idiot, Scully.”

“I just had that same thought.” He nods at her, but he doesn’t understand. “No, Mulder. I mean I’m an idiot, too.”

“You? Never. I shouldn’t have been such an as-,” he remembers that Katie is in his arms, hearing his every word even if she doesn’t understand it, “an idiot. I’m truly sorry. I just feel so useless all the time. You do it all and I can only stand by and watch.”

“Mulder, you’re a great father and a great help. I’ve just been so tired lately.” Katie grabs his nose and giggles, not caring one bit for what her parents are arguing about.

“I didn’t mean what I said.”

“You did and I understand. I’m so used to doing things alone, Mulder. I don’t want to push you away.”

“There’s a but in there somewhere.” Scully sighs.

“You’re just… too much.” The words break his heart, she sees it in his face. His hand absent-mindedly strokes Katie’s back, the girl leaning her head against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry.” Scully can’t stand staying away from him much longer. She joins him and Katie, touches his arm.

“No, I am. I should have said something.”

“I never meant to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know. We still need to learn how to do this.” They both look at Katie who has no idea. She grins a toothless grin.

“I’ll give you more space, I promise. Or tell me to fu- to go away whenever you feel like it.”

“Don’t understand me wrong, but why aren’t you at work right now, Mulder?” His smile is sheepish.

“I was, but I left. I couldn’t stay there after how I left you. I missed you two too much.”

“What did Skinner say to that?” Mulder shrugs.

“Told me not to fu- screw it up with you.”

“You won’t.” Scully kisses him softly and it makes Katie giggle. Spit bubbles spew from her mouth. Scully gives her round, rosy cheek a kiss too.

“But I can go away if you want me to be gone.” His eyes are pleading with her not to send him away. More than 25 years by his side and all he wants is to be here, be with her. Scully smiles, touches both his elbows to draw him the tiniest bit closer.

“I want to spend the day with you and Katie.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I want to be lazy,” she says, tickling Katie who squeals. “Just the three of us doing nothing.”

“How about a nap?” Mulder wriggles his eyebrows, grinning at her.

“That sounds perfect.”


End file.
